I See You in a Different Light
There’s a country song by Doug Stone called “In a Different Light.†He sings about a woman in his office that sits three desks down from him. He sees her walking in every morning in a business suit and working very professionally during the day. The others don’t seem to notice her but he has an insight they don’t. He knows her personally and that makes a big difference in his eyes. He sees her in a different light than the rest of the office.
This begs the question…do you really know the people you work with?
In the professional environment many of us find ourselves in today, we’ve often been cautioned not to get close to those we work with. It gets complicated, some say, and it can be a problem professionally – particularly if you are a supervisor.
I understand where people come from with that philosophy. I have supervised a number of staff over my last nine years of work. When you’re one of the crowd, it’s pretty easy to socialize without any problems. When you’re a supervisor, it’s a bit more of a challenge – at least for me it has been in several cases. I mean, it’s hard to talk about life outside the office and then do an evaluation on someone who has some areas that need improvement. Sometime they can take offense. It can be done, but it’s a bit more of a challenge and calls for some pretty remarkable skills and balance in relationships. I have a boss who knows just how to manage that fine line, though, and does a great job. He’s a true leader and people want to work hard for him because of that skill.
I suspect that, if we knew who folks we work with really are, where they are coming from philosophically, what their dreams are and what the challenges are in their life, we might just understand and appreciate them a little more. It’s just a guess, but I suspect a good one at that. Some will let you in, others won’t. But at least a try at being a bit friendlier might be helpful.
There are many programs and trainings geared toward better understanding who we are as people personally…not just who we are as professionals. I’ve been a part of many of those “workshops†these past 20 years. Having been a school counselor for most of my career, it was something we taught students to do … to understand and appreciate differences…and how to work with others in a group when you don’t necessarily like everyone.
Those are pretty basic skills we all need in this world today.
If we really took the time to see someone in a “different light†we probably would be more appreciative of who they are and why they act the way they do.
Now that doesn’t mean we should accept disrespect, a lack of integrity or dishonesty in the workplace, but at least we would understand differences.
My wish for you today is that you take an opportunity – when the time is right – to be more aware of the people around you in your workplace. Take the time to speak and share words of encouragement. You may just find you will see someone you work with “in a different light.â€
~Joellen